mavs.
mavs need to play fast paced and make shaq run and tire him out. wade will get his 30+pts, but nobody on miami can stop dirk. im interested in the josh howard dwyane wade matchup, should be a good one. just from watching these playoffs, i just feel that dallas plays better as a team than miami does. JWill and Toine will need their "A" games if miami wants to win.

I expected a Spurs v Pistons final but I'm much happier with this matchup! Just nicer to see two other teams make it to the finals and it happens to be the first time for both!

I want the Mavs to win (barely) but it would be great to see Payton and Mourning get a championship after all these years in the nba.

Dirk has to be great because unless Terry, Stackhouse, Howard or someone else on the Mavs can light up often, the Mavs may not have the firepower to beat the Heat, if both Wade and Shaq play great that is.

Ever since Shaq's foul trouble left him in the Chicago series, he's been on a rampage. I also expect Dwane Wade to come up big a couple games... but I have a hunch he'll disappear for at least one.

Miami doesn't have an answer, defensively, for Dirk. Antoine Walker will be raped. But Dallas' defense won't be able to contain Wade, O'Neal, or Payton (yes, I think Glove will lay all he's got left on this series... expect a 20-point game from him when the Heat need another weapon). Zo won't allow the Mav's to take advantage of when Shaq's tired/in foul trouble. The middle will be off limits (which isn't anything that will hurt Dallas too much).

Tough call, but I'm going with mavs. D Wade is astounding, but Mavs can play it fast or slow (see the spurs and suns series) and i think they have the best coach in the game. I could be mistaken, but I don't believe the Heat broke 100 in the series, and Dallas can easily rack 120. I see them running the Heat off the floor. the adjustments Avery made, not only series to series, but game to game and even quarter to quarter were brilliant. Also, with Damp, Diop, and Van Horn, the Mavs have 18 fouls to waste on Shaq, and assuming he gets to the line 18 times ( alot) that is 18 missed free throws a game. I don't see the Heat making up those 18 points. Mavs are 9 deep, and Nowitzki is a top 5 player, not stoppable...I wouldn't bet huge money on it, but Mavs in 6 or 7...

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coltraning wrote:Tough call, but I'm going with mavs. D Wade is astounding, but Mavs can play it fast or slow (see the spurs and suns series) and i think they have the best coach in the game. I could be mistaken, but I don't believe the Heat broke 100 in the series, and Dallas can easily rack 120. I see them running the Heat off the floor. the adjustments Avery made, not only series to series, but game to game and even quarter to quarter were brilliant. Also, with Damp, Diop, and Van Horn, the Mavs have 18 fouls to waste on Shaq, and assuming he gets to the line 18 times ( alot) that is 18 missed free throws a game. I don't see the Heat making up those 18 points. Mavs are 9 deep, and Nowitzki is a top 5 player, not stoppable...I wouldn't bet huge money on it, but Mavs in 6 or 7...

Well said!

The Mavs are deeper (seemingly since their bench has played better) and have played better offense and even better defense than the Heat so far this season

As much as I would like to see the Mavs win, in reality I think the Heat are going to take it in 6.
Since the Heat don't really have an answer for Dirk, he is going to have to play absolutly flawless for the Mavs to have a chance.
Just as a pure prediction I think that the Mavs are only going to win game 1 and 4.

im'a go with the heat. i really dont see no one stopping the nowitzki but im pretty sure Riley will find a way to hold him down. dampier and diop will get overpowered by o'neal but that wade/howard matchup will be very interesting. whoever plays better will probably decide the series. but then again, the heat will need everyone to contribute besides wade and shaq.